Day 48: Atar – Chinguetti – Atar

Chinguetti is a historic trading post that is also known in the Islamic world for its libraries with old scientific and Koran texts, some from the Middle Ages. The place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The way there leads first over a pass with breathtaking views and then over a bumpy slope that we fly over at 80 km/h.

We are a little disappointed with the place itself. If you knew Arabic or French and took a guide, you could perhaps visit one of the five old libraries. On the other hand: Old books have to be treated very carefully in terms of conservation and that is somehow hard to imagine here in this place.

The museum is closed and there is only one phone number you can call. So we just drive and walk around the town a little. The old mosque is not accessible to us, the old French fort is now a police station and cordoned off.

We head on. Cyril recommended a route to Mhairet. We're barely a few hundred meters along the track before we get stuck.

What do we learn from this: If a piece of sand is short but still unmanageable, let it out. Don't stand in the sand. Before turning, check which direction.

So deflating tires, digging, get sandboards from the roof and we're out. A lot of action without much fun.

Since we are late overall (in the morning we filled up with water, refueled, and chatted with a motorcyclist named Adrian at the gas station) we take the track back to Atar.

There are two worthwhile detours: the abandoned Fort Saganne in the middle of nowhere offers a fantastic panoramic view of the landscape.

An old man is waiting at the Agrour rock carvings and opens the gate for us. Not spectacular but quite interesting because, for example, in addition to people, a giraffe and perhaps a monkey can also be interpreted? The guard can only say “Oui”, from which no further information can be gleaned. When paying, he would have liked a little more than the 80 ouguiya per person stated on the sign (around 2 euros).

Back in Atar we withdraw money from an ATM that actually works without a hitch, refuel again and do some shopping so that we are equipped for tomorrow.

As hoped, we meet Cathrine and Ian again at the campsite, as well as Sam, a German cyclist in our age and two younger Swiss cyclists who we know from Nouadhibou. Very nice!

The two huts are occupied and even the old caravan and then chaos breaks out. A truck with around 20 travelers squeezes into the campsite. There are also two British cars – one of which had its rear window smashed with stones shortly before the entrance. This is the first time we've seen such an unpleasant moment. However, the Briton says that people were rather annoyed by the big travel truck.

The Swiss were late and exhausted, so we shared our food with them. A small traveling family that takes care of each other.